Ghostbusters: Roz Venkman
by Lilith Deckerstar
Summary: A team of scientists and an expert on the occult, myths, legends, and folklore decide to become "ghostbusters" to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters must now save New York from complete destruction. Happy 35 years of Ghostbusting. In memory of Harold Ramis.
1. Chapter 1

Rosalind "Roz" Venkman walked into the New York public library after being told by one of the professors at the university who her older brother worked at that they went to the library with one of his co-workers because of a ghost. As she walked further into the library she saw her brother, his two colleges, Egon Spengler and Ray Stanz, a middle-aged man, and a little old librarian lady lying on a table in an office.

"I don't remember seeing any legs, but it definitely had arms because it reached out for me," The librarian told them.

"Arms?! I can't wait to get a look at this thing!" Ray said excitedly.

"Alice, I'm going to ask you a few standard questions, okay? Have you or any of your family ever been diagnosed schizophrenic, mentally incompetent?" Peter asked the librarian.

"My uncle thought he was St. Jerome," She answered.

"I'd call that a big yes. Uh, are you habitually using drugs, stimulants, alcohol?"

"No!"

"No, no. Just asking. Are you, Alice, menstruating right now?"

"What has that got to do with it?" The man asked Peter.

"Yes, Peter what does a woman's cycle have to do with her seeing ghosts?" Roz asked as she walked into the office.

"Back off, man. I'm a scientist," Peter told the man before turning to his sister, "And to answer your question my sweet baby sister; you ever know."

"Ray, it's moving," Egon informed, "Come on."

The three followed Egon out of the office and down to the basement. One by one, Peter, Ray, Roz and Egon come down the tightly winding, old iron staircase. Egon is in front, with PKE meter. Ray has a video camera. Roz and Peter in the back, Peter being a bored stiff. He starts making scary gestures at ray as the walk past bookshelves. Then they come to a tall tower of books.

"Look," Ray said.

They walk closer to the stack of books.

"This is hot, Ray," Egon said as he scanned the books.

Ray films the books, "Symmetrical book stacking, just like the Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947."

"You're right. No human being would stack books like this," Peter sarcastically said.

"Listen!" Everyone went quite waiting for a sound, "You smell something?" Ray asked.

Roz gave Ray an are-you-serious look. Egon looks at the PKE and moves it in another direction before they follow him to a card catalog that's covered in slime with several draws sticking out.

"Talk about telekinetic activity! Look at this mess!"

"Raymond, look at this," Egon gestures to the smile.

"Ectoplasmic residue."

"Venkman, get a sample of this," Egon hold out a petri dish.

"Which one?" Roz asked.

"Peter."

"It's the real thing!" Ray excitedly said.

"Somebody blows their nose and you want to keep it?" Peter questioned.

"I'd like to analyze it," Egon clarified.

"There's more over here!" Ray points out. He and Egon continue walking.

"I'm getting stronger readings here, this way," Egon said, he and Ray turn a corner.

"Come on," Ray said, hurrying Peter up before disappearing behind the bookshelf.

Roz stayed behind and watches Peter scrape slime into a dish. Gets it all over his hands. Roz laughs while he groans and grunts. Flicks slime away. Wipes hands and feet on books. They turn a corner and Peter gives Egon the slime.

"Egon, your mucus."

A bookshelf behind them falls with a crash and almost crushes them under a ton of books

Peter turns to Ray and asks, "This happen to you before?" Ray shakes his head no, "Oh, first time?"Ray nods his head yes.

They continue following Egon but then he holds his arm in front of them to stop them as his PKE meter goes nuts as they get closer to something. They continue walking and then turned.

"It's here," Egon said. In front of them, they saw a legless librarian ghost with greyish-purple skin, hovering between the stacks about four feet off the ground and reading a book.

"A full torso apparition. And it's real," Ray said.

"So what do we do?" Peter asked. Ray, Egon, and Roz just looked at each other, "Could you come over here and talk to me for a second, please?" Peter pulls Ray by the ear back to where they had just come, Egon and Roz followed, "Could you just come over here for a second, please? Right over here. Come here, Francine! Come here. What do we do?"

"I don't know. What do you think?" Ray asked Egon.

Egon takes a calculator out of his pocket, but Peter slaps it out of his hands.

"Stop that!" Peter told him.

"We've got to make contact. One of us should actually try to speak to it," Ray said.

"Good idea," Egon agreed.

He, Ray, and Roz look at Peter. Peter groans and walks out to the ghost, and Ray starts taking pictures.

"Hello. I'm Peter," He said. Ray continues to take pictures, "Where are you from? Originally."

The ghost turns to him and holds a finger to her lips, "Ssh."

Peter turns around and goes back as he says, "All right. Okay, the usual stuff isn't working."

"Okay, I have a plan. I know exactly what to do," Ray told them. They, except Roz, walk out closer to the ghost with Ray in front of them, "Now stay close, stay close. I know. Do exactly as I say. Ready, ready, get her!

The ghost turns into a raging demon-like specter and scares them. They run as fast as they can out of the basement, and eventually out of the library. The head librarian rushes out the door after them and chases them down the steps

"Did you see it? What was it?" He asked.

"We'll get back to you," Peter told him.


	2. Chapter 2

They walk back to their lab on the Columbia University grounds. As they walk, Egon makes rapid calculations, Roz reads a book about the library, while Peter and Ray argue.

"Get her," Peter laughed before telling Ray, "That was your whole plan. Get her. It was very scientific."

"I just got overexcited. But wasn't it incredible, Pete?" He asked, "I mean, we actually touched the etheric plane. You know what this could mean to the university?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be bigger than the microchip. Ray, I'm very excited," Peter said Sarcastically.

"I wouldn't say the experience was totally wasted. According to these new readings, I think we have an excellent chance of actually catching a ghost and holding it indefinitely," Egon told them.

"Well, this is great! If this ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we could really bust some heads! In a spiritual sense, of course."

"Spengs? You serious about this catching a ghost?" Peter asked.

I'm always serious.

"Egon, I'm gonna take back some of the things I've said about you. You... you've earned it," Peter hands him a candy bar.

Roz followed them to their office.

"The possibilities are, are limitless!" Ray said, "Hey, Dean Yeager!"

The Dean looked up and turned around to them with a smirk on his face. The four of them noticed that there are men carting stuff out of the room.

"I trust you're moving us to better quarters on campus," Peter guessed.

"No! You're being moved off campus. The board of regents has decided to terminate your grant. You are to vacate these premises immediately," Dean Yeager told them.

"This is preposterous. I demand an explanation," Peter said.

"Fine. The university will no longer continue any funding of any kind for your group's activities," Dean Yeager explained.

"But the kids love us!"

"Dr. Venkman, we believe that the purpose of science is to serve mankind. You, however, seem to regard science as some kind of dodge or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy and your conclusions are highly questionable. You, Dr. Venkman, are a poor scientist."

"I see," Peter said a little hurt.

"And you have no place in this department or in this university," After saying that Dean Yeager then left the office.

Outside in the courtyard of Columbia University, Roz and Peter watch Ray pace back and forth, while Egon had gone home to work on his experiments.

"This is a major disgrace. Forget MIT or Standford now. They wouldn't touch us with a ten-meter cattle prod," Ray said.

"You're always so concerned about your reputation," Peter tells him, and Ray stops pacing, "Einstein did his best work as a patent clerk."

"Do you know much a patent clerk earns," Ray asked.

"No."

"15 dollars and 14 cents an hour," Roz said. Ray and Peter looked at her, "A friend of mine is a patent clerk."

Ray continues pacing, "Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything."

"Ray if you keep pacing like that in a matter of hours your soles will be gone," Roz told him.

Ray continued talking to Peter, "You've never been out of college You don't know what it's like out there. I've worked in the private sector. They expect results."

Peter hopped off the rail he was sitting on, "For whatever reasons, Ray, call it fate. Call it luck," He puts an arm around Ray's shoulder, "Call it karma. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump."

"For what purpose?" Ray asked.

"To go into business for ourselves," He hands Ray a bottle of whiskey.

Ray takes a drink before saying, "This ecto-containment system that Spengler and I have in mind is going to require a load of bread to capitalize. Where are we going to get the money?"

"I don't know, "Peter takes the whiskey and takes a sip, "I don't know."

Roz sighed, "I loan you guys some money, and I expect to be paid back when you get the money, ok?"

"Oh my dear, sweet baby sister, you won't regret this," Peter said with excitement.

"And yet I feel like I've already have."

The next day, they walk out of the Manhattan city bank. Peter holds open the door for a miserably looking Ray, holding an envelope in his hands.

"You're never going to regret this, Ray," Peter told him.

"My parents left me that house. I was born there, "Ray argued.

"You're not going to lose the house. Everybody has three mortgages nowadays."

"But at 19 percent? You didn't bargain with the guy!"

"Ray, dor your information, the interest rate alone for the first five years comes to 95, 000 dollars, "Egon told him.

"Will you guys relax?" Peter asked, "We are on the threshold of establishing the indispensable defense science of the next decade. Professional paranormal investigations and eliminations. The franchise rights alone will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams."

"And if it doesn't work?" Roz asked.

"Oh, it will, it will," Peter answered confidently. 

Roz simply rolled her eyes at him.

Not long after, the four of them began looking for a place that would be their base of operations. Today, a real estate agent took them to an abandoned brick, four-story fire station built by the city around the turn of the century.

"There's office space, sleeping quarters and showers on the next floor, and there's a full kitchen on the top level," The real estate agent told them.

"It just seems a little pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity, that's all. What do you think, Egon?" Peter asked.

"I think this building should be condemned. There's serious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members. The wiring is substandard. It's completely inadequate with our power needs, and the neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone," Egon voiced his opinion.

"Hey!" They looked up and saw Ray, upstairs, standing by the fire pole, "Does this pole still work?" He slides down, "Wow! This place is great! When can we move in? You've got to try this pole! I'm gonna get my stuff." Ray runs up the stairs and then looks at Roz, Peter, and Egon,"Hey, we should stay here tonight. Sleep here! You know, to try it out!" He then left the room.

"I think we'll take it," Peter said to the real estate agent.

"Good," She smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Roz was reading Tobin's spirit guide when their commercial came on the TV. It was the three of them lined up and wearing their uniforms.

Ray steps up, "Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?" He stepped back.

Egon steps up, "Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?" He stepped back.

Roz steps up, "Have you or anyone you know felt an unexplained presence?" She stepped back.

Peter steps up, "Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter,d or ghost?" He stepped back.

Ray steps up again, "If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Pick up your phone and call the professionals."

"Ghostbusters!" Ray, Peter, Egon, and Roz said.

"Our courteous and efficient staff is on call twenty-four hours a day to serve all your supernatural elimination needs," Ray said.

"We're ready to believe you!" All four of them said in unison.

_Message flashes on the screen: "GHOSTBUSTERS 555-2368"._

Roz chuckled and shook her head as she said, "What have I gotten myself in too?"

* * *

Roz was standing outside of the soon-to-be Ghostbuster headquarters with Peter as Marty was putting the sign above the entrance which was a white long sign with 'Ghostbusters' written in black.

"You don't think it's too subtle, Marty? You don't think people are going to drive down and not see the sign?" Peter asked. Marty shakes head. Dark blue hearse drives up, "You can't park that here!"

"Everybody can relax, I found the car!" Ray announced as he gets out of the car, " Needs some suspension work; and shocks, and brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end -"

"Jesus, is there anything else this car won't need?" Roz muttered.

"How much?" Peter asked him.

"Only forty-eight hundred," Ray answered, "And maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring."

Peter and Roz go inside the building, not wanting to hear Ray anymore. The secretary, Janine Melnitz, sits at her desk reading a magazine. While Roz goes to the office space behind Janine.

"Janine! Any calls?" Peter asked.

"No," Janine answered while she is still reading the magazine.

"Any messages?"

"No."

"Any customers?"

Janine looks up at him and answers, "No, Dr. Venkman."

"It's a good job, isn't it? Type something, will you? We're paying you for this stuff!..." Peter goes into his office, Don't stare at me, you got them bug eyes... Janine!" Peter turns around and says, "Sorry about the bug eyes thing. I'll be in my office."

"Hello?" A woman calls as she enters the building. She walks past Ray fixing the car and goes to Janine, "Oh. Excuse me. This, this is the Ghostbusters' office?"

"Yes, it is," Janine answers as she files her nails, "Can I help you?

"I don't have an appointment. I'd like to talk to someone, please," She replied.

Peter bolts bolting out of his office and introduce himself, "I'm Peter Venkman. May I help you?"

"Well, I don't know. What I'm about to say may sound a little unusual."

"Oh, that's all we get day in, day out around this place. Come into my office, Miss -"

"Barrett, Dana Barrett," She introduced herself.

* * *

In the lab in the firehouse, Dana is hooked up to a machine. As she talks, Peter, Ray, Roz, and Egon watch a monitor that turns her head different colors.

"And this voice said "Zuul". And then I slammed the refrigerator door and I left. That was two days ago, and I haven't been back to my apartment," Dana finished her story.

"Generally, you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance," Peter said before asking her, "What do you think it was?"

"Well, if I knew what it was I wouldn't be here," Dana told him.

"Egon, what do you think?" Peter asked him.

Egon shining a headlamp in Peter's eyes, "She's telling the truth. At least, she thinks she is."

"Well, of course, I'm telling the truth!" Dana exclaimed, "Who would make up a story like that?"

"Some are people who just want attention. Others, just nutballs who come in off the street," Peter told her.

"You know what it could be? Past-life experience intruding on present time," Ray suggested.

"Maybe it's some ancient being brought over by from people in Europe," Roz suggested.

"Could be erased memories stored in the collective unconscious. I wouldn't rule out clairvoyance or telepathic contact, either," Egon added.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe in any of those things," Dana told them.

"Well, that's all right. I don't either. But there are some things we do. Standard procedures we carry out in a case like this which often bring us results," Peter informed her.

"Well, I could go down to the hall of records and check out the structural details in the building. Maybe the building itself has a history of psychic turbulence," Ray said.

Peter nodding, "Right, go do that."

"I could look for the name Zuul in the usual literature," Egon said.

"Spates Catalog," Ray suggested.

"Tobin's Spirit Guide," Egon suggested.

"I can see if there is any mention of the name in any books of the demonic and spirits I have," Roz suggested.

"Yeah," Ray agreed.

"Tell you what. I'll take Miss Barrett back to her apartment and check her out," Peter knew he said the wrong thing corrects himself, "I'll go check out Miss Barrett's apartment, okay?"

"Okay, thank you," Dana responded.


End file.
